Her Star
by stelianqueen
Summary: Years ago, four children showed up at two cities. No one recognized them or knew their parentage. In Underfall, an infant girl and an eight year old boy, nearly dead. In Acropolis, a dead boy and an infant girl. These three hold the future in their hands.
1. She's Falling

**Note: **This is total crack. The main idea [Spook and Nox being siblings raised in Underfall and stuff] was thought of right after TLO, and then Uma was added in. Of course, this doesn't fit TDP canon, so completely ignore it.

Disclaimer: You know already. No. Own. Do. I.

* * *

From the day she was born, Nox knew she was different.

The obvious difference was her race. Nox was human. Underfall was inhabited by darklings. With her pale skin, black hair, and piercing blue eyes... she stood out. And her height. Even at the age or five, being short for her age, she was as tall as nearly everyone else. By the age of ten, she towered over everyone.

Except Spook.

The only other human in Underfall, and her older brother... Nox couldn't imagine life without him. Even though he was seven years older than her, he kept close to her. Only her. Nox knew he didn't like people much, always slipped away into the woods surrounding Underfall whenever possible. Took all of his frustrations out on the ghouls and ghosts. Sometimes he would come home hurt, but he never cared. Not once did he ever stop.

Until, of course, the day he stopped breathing. But that was different. Later.

Nox never knew how she ended up in Underfall. She didn't know her parents. The darklings had been unwilling to take her in, until a pair very graciously accepted the two. Whenever she would ask, they'd just steer around the question. Turn the subject. They never gave her a straight answer. Always, "Did Spook leave again, Nox?" or "Are you still hungry, Nox?" or "Are you tired, Nox?" Never what she wanted.

She also never knew what was beyond Underfall. Never had she gone all the way through the woods. She wasn't allowed to. Spook would kill her if she did. He was like that. Always had been.

One day, though, when she was twelve years old, and he was being especially flighty... she asked him. "Spook, why are we here?"

He had been standing on the edge of the platforms, balancing on his toes, dark green eyes staring out at nothing. At first, Nox thought he hadn't heard her, so she prepared to ask again, and was promptly cut off. "Why do you want to know?" He threw a loose piece of gravel from the platform over the edge, and Nox solemnly watched it sink into the fog below.

"Because I want to know why we're here when we're human, and why we got taken in? The darklings wouldn't have accepted us if we weren't here for a reason." She fixed her eyes on him. "Spook, you obviously know something. Crowslip and Ugot don't suspect anything when you leave, but I know you're not just going out into the woods. It's suicidal out there."

Spook closed his eyes and leaned back. "Look, Nox, you're right. I do know... things. But I can't tell you."

"Why not? I'm twelve, and I'm better with a hatchet than you'll ever be. I'm strong, and I'm smart. You know that."

He placed his head in his hands. "It's more complicated than that. If I tell you before you're supposed to know, both of us will be turned into statues to be put in her garden. There are plenty of them." He sighed. "And even _this _is too much."

"Whose garden?" Nox asked, genuinely curious.

"Didn't you hear me? I. Can't. Tell. You." Spook turned and stormed off; approaching the woods he loved so much.

Nox stood back on the ledge, feel alone and embarrassed. She hadn't meant to put Spook in danger, she was just... curious. She always had been. That time was one of the many when she questioned if she and Spook were truly related. Sure, they looked similar enough... but shouldn't siblings act at least a _little _alike? Nox was open, sort of friendly, and curious. Spook was completely closed, angry, and serious all of the time. He absolutely hated being in crowded spaces with a lot of people. Nox liked noise. It calmed her down.

Angry, she pulled a chink of pavement and threw it as hard as she possibly could. And then, when it sank too far for her to be able to see it... she didn't hesitate to throw another. And another. And another. Until she had ruined about half of the ledge, but she didn't care. And then she turned back and silently walked home.


	2. He's Knowing

Two years later, Nox trudged through the vast woods that she'd grown up with all of her life, yet still felt afraid of. It wasn't the darkness- she was used to darkness, as natural light only reached Underfall one day every year. This was not such a day. It wasn't the bone-chilling cold that sucked everything out of you, or so it felt; she was also used to that, even though as she walked she looked up at Spook, who never seemed to notice it. It wasn't the moans of the ghosts of lost spirits, either- the melancholic symphony often lulled her to sleep at night. She walked slightly hunched over, arms wrapped together firmly. "Are you sure we're supposed to be out here, Spook?" she asked quietly.

Spook, who was so much taller and faster and more agile than her and seemed to know every crevice of the woods, didn't stop or slow down. "Of course we are. I told you you'd know someday." He turned his head slightly back to Nox. "This is that day."

Nox should have been relieved. All of her life she had had questions, and now she was getting answers. But she turned her gaze to the very dark green ground below her and muttered, "I'm not allowed out, though."

"You aren't allowed out _alone_," Spook said, his tone light. "As long as they know you're with me, it'll be fine. By now Crowslip knows I can get around easily, so she'll be fine with this."

"Fine? She freaked out when I tagged along with the group that went to the shrine on Rashnu's festival. She _won't _like this at all."

Spook shrugged. "Nothing she can do."

And then it was silent again. He had slowed down a bit, as if looking for something. This brought questions to Nox's mind. Spook knew every inch of Underfall's woods. "Spook, where are we going?" she asked, like a little child.

Spook, who was brushing his hand against the rock walls, paused, and replied, "To see the Oracle. She's been wanting to see you for years, and we both agreed you are ready now." He continued searching. "Now be quiet. I need to focus."

Nox shut her mouth and leaned against the wall, staring at a ghost that didn't look quite normal. Too light, she thought, its eyes too red. But she didn't pay too much notice to it. Probably just a vampire that had been staked. They tended to look different from normal ghosts.

And then Spook let out a cry of joy as he brushed tons of rock from an opening in the rock. Nox's eyebrows folded together as she stepped closer. He was pulling old rocks from a small opening. "Could you help me, Nox?"

She nodded and started removing handfulls. The opening seemed to have collaspsed over the years, but somehow there still remained a doorway large enough for them to fit through. He turned back to her again and said, "Take out your hatchet. The Oracle didn't tell me what's in here."

"Is she here?"

He shook his head. "No, but we need to go through here to get to her."

The opening, she discovered, led to a huge temple. An amazing sight stood before her- a huge pool of water, up to her waist. Stunned, she dipped her fingers into it, loving the cool, clear water wash over her dirty hand. Nox stared as the dirt soaked into the water, and then vanished. With wide eyes she looked up to Spook, who looked unphased. "A godesses' protection," he said, his voice echoing in the empty space. "That's why it hasn't collapsed."

Nox stood back up, feeling childish and silly. He looked down at her and said, "Come on. We'll have to go through the water. It's the only way to go."

Spook led her through the water that felt so _strange _to her. It weighed down her legs, felt too heavy to go through. But instead of focusing on the water she looked at the walls, at the beautiful, golden, intricate details. She never took her eyes off of them, not even when he led her through a doorway. She didn't even realize it until she was standing in the middle of another pool, Spook screaming at her, the huge jaws of some sort of fish coming closer.

He was screaming her name, and Nox fumbled for her hatchet util she realized _she had lost it _and it was gone and she was dead and-

With an ear-piercing shriek the fish fell over, burns covering all of its body. Nox felt sick, her knees felt weak, and she hauled herself out of the water and onto a platform before falling to her knees and vomiting into the pure water than dissolved it all.

And then she looked up and saw that the fish were still there, swarming around a bloodied Spook who was trying his hardest to fight them off with a knife, but she knew he was failing. So she set her teeth together and focused on that _hopelessness _again and pictured the fish burning... and they did.

Her head dropped down again and she felt utterly drained, like just moving her arm would be too much. And then she felt Spook's arm on her, helping her into a better position. He held a vial of something in his hand. "Drink this," he said softly, none of the surprise he expected in his voice. "You'll feel better."

She inhaled the solution, which tasted warm and sweet in her dry mouth. And then she felt energy coursing through her veins, and with a newfound strength she stood up.

Spook was smiling at her. Spook never smiled.

"That... that was magic, wasn't it?" Nox asked. He nodded.

"I've known for a while. You're actually developing pretty late, for a mage- most discover their powers around nine or ten years old. I've been keeping some Aquafolium with me for a while, in case you found them."

Nox stared at her brother. Blood flowed down the side of his face from a cut on the side of his temple, and there was a pretty nasty-looking bite on his neck, but he didn't seem to care. "Come on. We should be going." He started walking again. "Oh, and try not to use magic. It's pretty bad right after you discover it."

And so they continued. Somehow, they didn't run into any more lethal fish, something that Nox never wanted to see went through long, sprawling corridors, but Spook never seemed lost. He had to have gine this way before.

Suddenly, he stopped. "You might want to cover your eyes. The light's going to be brutal out there."

She nodded and obeyed. Sure enough, the light caused a radiating pain in her head and eyes, and Nox felt like she was going to die. But then, eventually, her eyes adjusted, and she saw a beautiful place. She was standing on a rocky ledge, water below her- but not like the water in the tomb. This water was darker... and it _moved. _Bright light reflected off of it. Nox simply stared, frozen, at it.

"Come on, Nox. We have to go. We can't be seen. Now," Spook said frantically under his breath. He pulled on Nox's arm, breaking her trance, and ran over to the high stone wall with another ledge. "We have to climb this. Quickly." He was already starting up when they heard avoice behind them.

"What are you two doing here? You're not from Acropolis."

Nox whirled around at the voice of the stranger. Her tone was higher than Nox's, lighter, sort of pleasant. She was faced with the bright, bright, pale blue eyes of a girl about her age. She stared at the eyes. Hers were the exact same shade, she knew. No one else had that color. And then she looked up. The girl had white hair underneath a cream colored hood.

"Look, Uma, we need to go. I would explain, but we're in a huge rush. Sorry," Spook quickly said.

"You _know _her?" Nox couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, I do. Long story, but I do. Now come on before someone else sees."

Uma said, "Don't worry, Spook. I won't tell. No one will know. You're safe." She gave him an innocent-looking smile. "Go."

But, the minute Spook turned around, Uma's expression turned into a glare before she turned around and looked away.


	3. She's Learning

"You do not, I assume, know why you are, correct?" The Oracle spoke with an odd clairty to her voice, a strange sharpness- Nox couldn't pointit out, but she knew it was there.

She looked back to Spook, who was leaning back on the bench, arms folded, looking uneasy. She knew what he was like in small spaces, and she could tell he was worrying about what he had said those years ago. "No, mistress. I don't." The Oracle nodded.

"Good. So Spook here has done his job well." He looked up slightly. "You've been safe, haven't you, Nox? Protected?"

"Yes, mistress," she repeated. "I have." She swallowed, but her mouth was exceptionally dry.

Nox didn't know what scared her so much. She didn't know why it felt like a stone was lodged in her throat. Why she could barely talk.

"And have you come into your powers yet?"

It was Spook who spoke for her. "Yes, she has. Just now, when we were in Ashera's tomb. A group of attack fish attacked us. She burnt them all," he said softly.

"You do look a bit pale. Would you like some tea?" Nox was about to decline- she never had been able to drink tea and not spit it out in seconds when she saw Spook's pointed glare.

She cleared her throat and replied, "Yes, mistress. That would be great."

The Oracle left then, and seconds later she was back with three mugs filled nearly to the top with the repulsive liquid. Nox bit her lip and tried not to vomit as she took a sip, but it was slightly bitter and a bit sweet, so she actually enjoyed the taste. It felt wonderful going down her dry throat. "Are you alright, Spook? You look a bit... stressed," The Oracle asked.

"Fine. It's just... small spaces. I tend to get a bit tense in them," Spook answered as he took a sip and seemed to relax slightly. Only a bit, Nox noticed.

"So, you're probably wondering why you're here," she said in a light tone. "Nox, fifteen years ago, you were found just outside of Underfall. No one knew who you were, or why you were there. Lying next to you was an eight year old boy who was nearly dead." Nox looked over at Spook. She thought he had come healthy. That explained the countless scars on his face and hands that he always seemed to be covering. "The darklings were about to kill you two when a pair came forward and vowed to raise you like darkling children. Their names were Ugot and Crowslip. They acted as your parents as you grew older. You asked questions that were never answered. Correct?" Nox took yet another slip and nodded.

The Oracle took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "What you don't know is that, across Ashera's tomb, is another city, called Acropolis. It is a city of light. You passed through it to get here. That same night that Crowslip and Ugot claimed you two... two children washed up on the shore. One was an infant girl and an older boy... dead. The boy was cremnated, the girl raised by a family.

"And here, in Aveyond... a young boy was raised."

Nox closed her eyes tight and then opened them again. "What does this have to do with us?"

The Oracle sighed. "Do you know of the druids?"

"No, mistress. I don't." Nox couldn't help but feel impatient. All she wanted to know was why she was there.

"Hundreds of years ago, my children were here with me. To mortals, they were gods. They represented everything. There were many of them. And then, the children of the gods, were called druids. The druids had shrines, all across the world. But then... Ahriman, a demon, rose to power, and sent daevas after druids. Their souls were stolen. Eventuallym they were reclaimed... but once a soul is taken, the damage is done. One can live, but they are never fully alive again. Without their lessers, the gods faded.

"The world cannot be by itself. I can't directly interfere with anything- it's impossible. So my children ruled again. This time, they were nymphs. There were six of them, and each one represented a characteristic of a human soul. Every person had a blessing from all of them. Hope, wisdom, compassion, love, luck, and wickedness. And for years, it worked. But one rebelled, and they toppled. Aia was on the verge of disaster with the nymphs not right. Blessings were sloppy, and certain traits came out stronger. So again... they failed."

THe Oracle absentmindedly drummed her fingers on the table. Nox tried to take it all in. She still didn't figure out how she was involved.

"The priestesses and I met for a long while to try to figure out how to resolve this. And then we came to conclusion- three siblings, one representing kindness, one wickedness, and the other neutral. The first two would be sent into the world along with a protector to watch over them until they were ready, where they would be brought back. The third was to be raised in Aveyond, so we could watch him. And then when the time came, they would be conjoined... and the world would be brought peace."

Nox spoke quietly. "So which one am I? Wickedness or kindness? And where is the neutral one?"

The Oracle frowned and looked down. "See, there was... a slight failure. The neutral one was... different. He was plagued by halucinations. He tried hard to be what we wanted him to be, but he couldn't. And then he refused to eat, refused to sleep, refused to drink. So we... we had to let him die. There was nothing else we could do."

Nox glanced over at Spook. He was staring at the lavish ceiling, and she saw a bead of sweat on his forehead. She had no idea how long they'd been there. Hours, probably. "Who am I?" she asked again.

Her face brightened a bit, but only slightly. "You, my dear, are wickedness. But I suspect the priestess who placed and named you messed up slightly. She was bwing persued, and... we found her dead the next morning. I feel that you are supposed to be kindness, but we will never know. Your counterpart, though, is sweet. Very sweet."

"Who is she?"

"Uma. She's a very nice girl."

Nox swore she stopped breathing at the news. Uma, who had glared at her. She'd have to spend eternity combined with _Uma_!


End file.
